This camp will be an intensive personal growth experience held at La'akea Community, on our lush, permaculture, rainforest land.

Join us in co-creating safe, nurturing, inspiring community, with a focus on how we can be deeply connected with each other, with nature and the world.

Come celebrate, be challenged, and enjoy yourself on the land and beach as we share our talents, knowledge and hearts with each other.

Our rich program will have a focus on a gathering of the tribe, a sustainable culture of interconnections, including classes in communication skills, massage, boundaries and polyamory, and more as well as cuddle puddles, gender circles, Tantra Pujas and a creativity sharing Cabaret night.

The daily schedule will include space for morning yoga, ZEGG-style forums, three meals and time for an afternoon snooze or workshops led by campers.

We are a small, family style, egalitarian, intentional permaculture community on the big island of Hawai'i. Staying with us is a vibrant immersion in our community lifestyle, and many visitors find it transformative and life changing. We are a committed group of people working together closely as a means to health, relationship vitality, economic stability, personal and spiritual growth. We focus on the social aspect of sustainability: how to live together with honesty, love and peace, and share power and leadership.

SITE

We live in one of nature's most amazing places, surrounded by mountains, oceans, dense jungle and warm pools. We are a short drive from the active volcano and the fresh lava fields. Our visitors enjoy exploring the many unique features of this land, and the cultural activities nearby. Our organic farm practices tropical permaculture in our lush rainforest climate. We bought our land in 2005 and currently grow a large portion of our food.

We are growing many kinds of fruits and nuts, and have extensive gardens and greenhouses, taro beds and orchards. We keep bees, chickens, rabbits and sheep who are our natural lawn mowers in addition to providing us with food and fertilizer. Our electricity comes from solar photovoltaic panels, and our water is from a rainwater catchment system. We value alternative and sustainable building techniques.

SPECIFICS

We provide: Yummy food, unisex outdoor showers, composting outhouse toilets, full days of exciting programs, experiential workshops and activities. Clothing is optional throughout most areas of camp. The meeting spaces are a cozy indoor, bamboo-floor classroom and an open air pavilion by a pond. The food throughout the event will be tasty organic island fare, fresh from our gardens and orchards, as much as possible.

LOGISTICS:

Accommodations are tarp covered camping (bring your own gear) or a dorm bed upstairs in our Main House (bring your bedding, unless you wish to rent some from us). If you would like a more roomy and private option, you can rent a Quanset hut, which is a large walk in rounded tent cabin, which houses 2 to 4 people on single and double beds, for an additional cost. We have 5 cabins which can be rented onsite. An offsite option of a private room in a nearby vacation rental is also a possibility.

Community Service: Everyone contributes 4 hours of Karma Yoga service to help camp run smoothly. This can include helping with the cooking or cleaning in the kitchen, tidying shared spaces, etc. Performing Karma Yoga service offers the opportunity to bond more deeply with each other as we share in the joy of co-creating community and making camp happen.

Participatory Music: All music-making is encouraged & greatly appreciated. Bring your instruments, voices, and talents. Be the live music & let's celebrate you! There will be a quiet time curfew of around 9 pm, because of our neighbors. This just means no really loud stuff after that, singing and playing guitar is fine.

Safe Container: It is essential that everyone attend Orientation which begins Weds. evening. This puts us all on the same page with our group agreements.

No Drop In Attendance: everyone who attends camp will be there for the entire camp, (unless they need to leave early), with the exception of workshop leaders in some cases.

Local Participants: If you live in the area and wish to sleep at your own home, you may have a discount on the total camp fee. If you want to provide your own food each day, you may have an additional discount. Everyone staying at La'akea will participate in the group meals, because we do not have facilities for you to store and prepare food.

Early Departure: If you can't stay for the entire time, Hawaii Camp can still be a powerfully transformational experience. We understand if you need to leave early, and appreciate the time that you shared with us.

Before and After Stays: It may be possible to stay a few days after Winter Camp and Afterglow Camp. If you want to stay at La'akea before the camp, the fee is $50 per person per day, including food, for a dorm or camping spot. More fees apply for cabins and huts.

We are open to visitors in the week before camp.

Airport Pickups: We can provide pick ups from the Hilo airport, which is 1/2 hour away from the site, for $40 per trip. This fee can be split between several people who are riding in the same car. This provides a benefit to those who can arrive on the afternoon of the beginning of camp. We cannot provide rides from the Kona Airport, which is a 3 hour drive, one way. If you must come in to Kona, please plan to rent a car or have a friend pick you up.

What to Bring Essentials: A flashlight, tent, sleeping bag and pad, extra blankets for cold nights, sunscreen, sunglasses, cool clothes for hot days, warm clothes for possible cold weather, easy to carry water bottle, personal back jack or chair. Sheets and blankets are available for rental if needed and reserved in advance. Keep in mind that the airlines charge for each checked bag now.

Personal Foods: Please bring snacks, supplemental foods and medicines, and prepare to keep them in sealed bins so that they do not attract rats at night. There will be limited room for personal food in one refrigerator and some coolers, and there will not be a way to use our kitchen for preparing personal meals, so bring foods that do not take cooking/preparation. We will mostly be serving vegetarian food, with some vegan options, but we will not be able to cater to all special diets.

Leave at Home: Alcohol or recreational drugs, valuables of any sort, pets of any make or size.